Foldable desk



y 4, 1954 K. w. COUSE 2,677,588

FOLDABLE DESK Filed Sept. 13, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l y 4, 1954 K. w. COUSE 2,677,588

FOLDABLE DESK Filed Sept. 13, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 i glil BY M l I May 4, 1954 K. w. cou sE 2,677,588

FOLDABLE DESK Filed Sept. 15, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Bl Ly .May 4, 1954 K. w. COUSE FOLDABLE DESK 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 13, 1951 A ie 2 /6" 5&I

May 4, 1954 K. w. COUSE 2,677,533

FOLDABLE DESK Filed Sept. 13, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 K. w. COU-SE 2,677,588

FOLDABLE DESK s Sheets-Sheet e Filed Sept. 13, 1951 lllllllll l VIII!!! Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE DESK Kibbey W. Couse, Newark, N. J.

Application September 13, 1951, Serial No. 246,450

This invention relates in general to desks,

counters or tables, and more particularly the invention contemplates such a desk, counter or table that is especially adaptable to use in the field, for example during military operations.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a desk or the like which can be easily and quickly folded into compact and easily transportable form and can be quickly and with a minimum of manipulations unfolded and set up for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a desk or similar article of furniture which shall include a main table or counter portion and a hinged cover which in one position will enclose articles on said main table portion and in another position will provide an auxiliary table portion and at the same time partially enclose and shield articles on said table portions against gusts of wind and accumulation of dust A further object is to provide a desk or similar article of the character described which shall in- 7 Claims. (Cl. 312-258) clude a relatively thin annular rectangular frame and a novel and improved construction and combination of a main table portion and a combined cover and auxiliary table in said frame so that the frame may selectively serve as a partial support for said tableportions when they are unfolded and said table and cover portions can be compactly folded wholly within the boundaries of said frame, so that the folded desk shall occupy a minimum of space to facilitate packing and can be easily transported.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a foldable desk embodying the invention, showing the parts thereof in operative positions,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the combined cover and auxiliary table portion in article-enclosing relation to the main table portion;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view approximately'on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1; V

Figure 4 is a similar view approximately on the plane of the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the main table portion folded into the frame preparatory to packing or transporting the desk;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the desk in completely folded condition;

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the end walls of the cover swung outwardlyand shown in vertical section and .with portions of the flexible top wall broken away;

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View approximately on the plane of the line '8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is an end elevational view approximately on the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 taken approximately on the plane of the line iillB of Figure 6;

Figure 11 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line til-l ll of Figure 6;

Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line |2--I2 of Figure 3; I

Figure 13 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line I3-l3 of Figure 3 with portions omitted.

Figure 14 is a similar view approximately on the plane of the line I4-l4 of Figure 4 with portions broken away;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view through a portion of one end and a portion of the top of the hinged cover, showing the joint between the two parts in detail;

Figure 16 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of theframe and a part of the cover and auxiliary table showing the dustproof resilient joint between the frame and the cover when the latter is in closed position;

Figure 17 is an enlarged sectional perspective view showing the joint between two walls of the hinged cover and;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary sectional perspective View approximately on the plane of the line l8i 8 of Figure 14.

Specifically describing the invention, to avoid circumlocution we shall use the word desk to include all possible embodiments of the invention including desks, tables, counters, and the like; and it should be understood that the desk may be a unit by itself or may be built into some other structure, for example a body of a motor truck.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention and the now preferred embodiment thereof, the desk has been shown as comprising an annular rectangular frame A which includes top and bottom pieces I and 2, preferably tubular, and side pieces 3, theframe being intended to stand on a horizontal surface and be disposed in a vertical plane. Extending horizontally and rigidly connected to the side pieces 3 between the top and bottom pieces I and 2, is a hinge bar 4 that has a'plurality of hinge sleeves 5 spaced longitudinally thereof to cooperate with similar hinge sleeves 6 and "I mounted respectively on a main table portion 8 and a wall 9 which also forms a part of a cover for the main table portion 8. As shown, the table portion 8 and wall 9 each have an angle bar it! secured along one edge on which the corresponding hinge sleeve 5 or 1 is formed. A hinge pin or pintle H extends through all of the hinge sleeves 5, 6 and i so as to hingedly connect the table portion 8 and wall 9 to the frame A.

With this construction, the main table portion 8 may be swung normally into a plane parallel to the general plane of the frame A and within the boundaries of the frame, as shown in Figure or said table portion can be swung into a horizontal position to serve as a table or counter as shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive. For holding the table portion in horizontal position, an extensible leg I2 is pivotally connected at is to the underside of the table portion adjacent the free edge and each end thereof. Preferably each leg comprises two telescopically associated sections 20. and ii!) that may be held in adjusted relation to each other by a set screw E20, and a foldable brace i l of known type may be provided for holding the legs in table-supporting position. A spring clip is provided for holding the legs in folded position against the table portion 8 as shown in Figures 5 and 8.

The wall 9 may be swung into and held in horizontal position by engagement of the angle bar 7 with the hinge bar 4 as shown in Figure 3, so that it will be disposed in the same common plane with the table portion 8 when'the latter is hori zontally arranged, and thereby serve as an auxiliary table.

At each end of the wall 9 is secured a T-bar iii the stem flange of which has a plurality of hinge sleeves i'l parallel to the plane of the wall and cooperating with hinge sleeves it on a sectorshaped end wall iii. The hinge sleeves are connected by pintles 2t and these sector-shaped end walls may be arranged in planes perpendicular to the plane of the wall 9 or may be swung about their hinges into planes parallel with the plane of the wall 9 as shown in Figures 6 and 8. Along the arcuate edge of each of the end walls 29 and projecting toward the other wall is an arcuate flange 2| in which is an arcuate groove 22 to removably receive one end of a flexible and preferably transparent top wall 23 which is hingedly connected at one longitudinal edge, as by a flexible hinge 24 (Figure 1'?) to the wall 9. t the opposite longitudinal edge of the wall 23 is seecured an angle bar 25 to both rigidify said edge and to serve as an abutment member to engage an angle bar 23 secured to the main table portion 8 along the free edge thereof.

With this construction, the end walls 2 may be set perpendicularly to the wall 5 and the flexible top wall 23 may be fitted into the grooves 22 in the end walls so as to form a combined auxiliary table and also a cover for the main table 8. When the latter is in operative position and the wall 9 i disposed in horizontal position, the top wall 23 may be used to protect a person sitting at the main table portion as well as the articles on both the main and auxiliary table portions, against gusts of wind and dust; and when the wall 9 is swung into vertical position, the top wall 23 and end walls serve as a cover to completely enclose the articles on the main table portion as shown in Figures 2 and l. Preferably an inwardly projecting flange 2i is provided on the top piece and the upper portions of the side pieces of the frame to serve as an abutment for the angle bar and for a T-bar 28 at the free edge of the wall 9, upon swinging of the cover in opposite directions; and sealing strips 29 may be provided on the flange 28. Similarly a sealing strip 35 may be provided on the outer side of the bar 25 to engage the bar 26 on the main table portion.

By simply removing the edge portions of the flexible wall 23 of the cover from the grooves 22 in theend walls 20, said flexible wall may be flattened, and then the end walls 20 may be swung inwardly into approximately parallel relation to the wall 9 as shown in Figures 6 and 8.

This construction makes it possible to fold or collapse the main table portion and the cover into approximately a common plane and within the boundaries of the frame A as best shown in Figures 6 and 8 where the main table portion 8 and the wall 9 are vertically arranged in a common plane. The flange 23 is disposed vertically alongside the wall 9 and the walls 28 are positioned alongside the wall 23. The desk thus folded makes a compact unit of minimum thickness which can be easily carried and will consume a minimum of space when packed for transporation. However, the desk can be easily and quickly set up for use when desired by simply setting the frame A a vertical plane, swinging the main table portion 3 into a horizontal plane and lowerin and extending the legs l2; then swinging the wall 9 downwardly into horizontal position, swinging the end walls 28 upwardly into vertical position and slipping the edges of the flexible wall 23 into the grooves 22. A person may sit in front of the main table portion on which articles to be used can be conveniently located, and when the cover is in open position the wall E provides an auxiliary table for supporting articles being used. When it is desired temporarily to leave the desk, all of the articles may be placed on the main table portion and the wall 9 may be swun upwardly so as to enclose the articles on the table portion 8 between the wall 9, the end walls 26 and the flexible top wall 23 as shown in Figures 2 and 2e.

While the now preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it should be understood that this is for the purpose of explaining the principles of the invention and that many modifications and changes can be made in the construction of the desk within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the desk can be made of any suitable materials, but preferably the frame A will be of metal, the portions 3 and 9 will be formed of plywood or composition board and the flexible segmentally cylindrical wall 23 will be formed of a synthetic resinous substance so that the cover will be resistant to bending or cracking under pressure and will retain its arcuate shape when mounted between the end walls 29 and hold said walls apart. The hinges H, l8, [9 may be ordinary stop hinges to limit the swinging of the end walls away from each other, and the angle bar 25 preferably is used to reinforce the flexible wall in holding the end walls 26 in parallel spaced relation to each other.

I claim:

1. A foldable desk comprising a rectangular annular frame, a table portion, hinge means hingedly mounting said table portion at one edge in said fram to swing selectively into a first position within and parallel to the general plane of the frame and into a second position perpendicular to said plane, foldable legs on said table portion to coact with said frame for supporting said table horizontally in said second position, a cover including a fiat wall, a second hinge means hingedly mounting said fiat wall independently of said table portion along one edge on said frame on an axis parallel with the axis of the firstmentioned hing means to swing into a common plane with said table portion when the latter is in either said first position or said second position, said table portion and said flat wall being movable independently of each other, said cover including other wall portions connected to the other edges of and in partially enclosing relation to said fiat wall, whereby said cover may be swung to cover said table portion when said table portion is in said second position and said cover may be swung to dispose said flat wall in a common plane with said table portion When the latter is in said second position to serve as an auxiliary table and to dispose said other wall portions of the cover in partially enclosing relation to said flat wall and to serve as a windshield for said table portion.

2. A foldable desk as defined in claim 1 wherein said other wall portions of the cover comprise a segmentally cylindrical wall connected to said fiat wall along the fre edge thereof and movable therewith coaxially with the hinged connection of said flat wall with said frame and sectorshaped end walls concentric with said second hinge means connected to and movable with said fiat wall.

3. A foldable desk as defined in claim 2 wherein said segmentally cylindrical Wall is flexible and separably connected to said end walls so that said flexible wall can be disconnected from said end walls and flattened into a plane parallel with the plane of said frame, and said end walls are hingedly connected to said flat wall of the cover.

4. A foldable desk as defined in claim 3 wherein said end walls have concentric arcuate grooves to removably receive the end edges of said flexible wall for separably connecting said flexible wall to said end walls and holding it in segmentally cylindrical form.

5. A foldable desk as defined in claim 2 with the addition of coacting sealing elements on said frame and on the free edges of said flat wall and said segmentally cylindrical Wall to seal the space between said cover and said table portion when the cover is in covering relation to said table portion.

6. A foldable desk as defined in claim 2 wherein the first-mentioned hing means and the second hinge means are coaxial and said flat wall can swing into a common plane with said ta'ble portion to serve as an auxiliary table when said cover is in uncovering relation to said table portion.

7. A foldable desk as defined in claim 1 wherein said other wall portions are collapsible into a substantially flat plane parallel with the plane of said flat wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 6,056 Vetter Sept. 22, 1874 1,123,096 Choquette Dec. 29, 1914 1,136,320 Drake Apr. 20, 1915 1,149,012 Yamasaki Aug. 3, 1915 1,179,017 McVicker Apr. 11, 1916 1,432,663 Brandts Oct. 17, 1922 1,732,481 Miller Oct. 22, 1929 2,192,112 Vrusho Feb. 2'7, 1940 

